


Ultimate Test

by QuietButLoud



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Baby Names, Baby Yoda - Freeform, Based on a Tumblr Post, I Love You, My First Work in This Fandom, Outer Space, Why doesnt he use the force?, dont worry about that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:02:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21827896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietButLoud/pseuds/QuietButLoud
Summary: Mando and The Child relax in the ship, and worried for their future, Mando sets up a game for The Child to play that will determine their future goal in life.He just hadn't expected what the outcome would be.--Based off a tumblr post
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 424





	Ultimate Test

**Author's Note:**

> Lmao is this in character?

Mando was never one for people. He liked to be by himself, that everyone knew. He like to be secluded, and he liked to keep his distance from people. 

He also never showed emotions, but most Mandalorians didn't. In the Mandalorian Culture, it was frankly frowned upon showing any type of emotion. They made you too vulnerable, too likely to an attack - mentally or even physically (especially if you were in a fight.)

And so he spent years, pushing his emotions down, under control. _( ~~Repressed~~ ) _ It was better this way.

This is the way.

\--

It was a quiet night in space. Of course, it was always quiet; if you weren't being chased by another bounty hunter after the child you were caretaking, that was.

Thankfully for them, they weren't.

Mando sat in his usual spot. The pilot's seat, hands on the wheels though it was on auto. And The Child, in his seat behind Mando, locked securely in (which Mando had made sure of), reaching his small tiny hands forward; presumably for the small ball of the control handle he had always loved.

In his peripheral vision from inside his helmet, he could see him reaching. It was quite cute, and he couldn't help but smile gently, his chest filling with a slight warm sensation. 

He winded his eyes, and cleared his throat. Forcing the feeling down like he had done plentiful of times before.

He kept his eyes forward now. Watching the dark sky, with an abundance of stars, too far too reach, and too dead to wish upon.

After a few minutes, he heard a quiet whine. 

Turning his head back, he saw The Child. His eyes glossy, and still reaching forward. His hands opening and closing, wishing for something he could never reach.

He sighed. It was quite peaceful, and he supposed The Child could take a break from sitting in one spot. Of course, he wouldn't let it happen unsupervised.

Turning back to the control panels, he checked for any signs of another partys on the control signal. Thankfully, there were none.

Making sure everything was stable and double checking the ship was on autopilot despite him not having had to move the handle once, he finally decided everything was in good shape, he stood from the seat. Patting The Child's head, earning a small coo.

Unbuckling them, and carefully picking it up, he plucked the metal ball from the control, and made his way down to the bottom floor.

He set The Child down carefully, and gave them the small metal ball. 

He took a step back, giving them space. As much room as he could give them to play. That's what a child deserved, anyways.

But The Child didn't move, simply watching Mando with their big black eyes, confused and upset.

He frowned inside his helmet.

Why? He had given them time to play, and the ball they loved dearly so. He didn't know what was wrong.

A flip of his hand, The Child seemed to get the message. And sadly, they turned away, and began to play with the metal ball.

As minutes passed, they seemed to become more happy and excited. Still, though, they turned to him once in a while, eyes large and slightly upset, like a baby wanting something it couldn't have.

He still couldn't help but watch fondly. His heart beating ever so slightly faster, amusement in watching them play. It was relaxing; therapeutic in a way. Watching a child truly be a child.

But he couldn't help but think about The Child's future. Would they be okay after he was gone? Would they survive in the world without him? 

He knew they were strong. But they were a child. A simple child. He didn't know if they would live past 80 without him.

And so, he thought of him as an adult. Living past Mando, and living old enough to be the same age (or whatever the age match was for him in its species) as him.

He didn't want to think of them as a bounty hunter like himself. He wanted to think of them with a normal job. A normal life. The kind they deserved.

Would they be as carefree as they were now? Would they become serious after growing up on the run and study hard? Or would they be money oriented, wanting every digit they could get their cubby little hands on? 

He would assume the first, but with this child, almost everything was unpredictable.

When he was back on the beautiful grassy plain planet, Omera had told him a fun game they would play with newly borns. Set out money, a toy, and a pen. Whichever the baby gets, is what they want the most out of life.

Finding a writing utensil (a pen), spare digits he had lying around (money), with a small complaint from the child, the metal ball it loved (toy,) he laid it out in front of The Child, who stood curiously watch it all on one side. Mando, sat on the other side.

The pen on Mando's left, the digits on his right, and directly in front of him was the metal ball.

And so it began.

Patiently, he waited. Waiting for The Child to choose its choice. The Child didn't move, simply looking around, ears in the air, admittedly adorable sounds every now and then from it. 

He waited. And waited. And waited. He had to be patient, like all Mandalorians were.

This is the way.

Then, The Child took a step forward. 

He stayed still, watching half paying attention to them. 

The Child passed the digits without a second glance. " _Of course_." Mando thought. 

The pen though The Child glanced, but turned back forward. Interested, but not intrigued.

The Child made its way towards the metal ball.

He allowed himself to smile slightly, huffing out his nose. _Of course_ The Child would pick fun.

He watched as The Child ignored the ball, walking past it. 

He furrowed his brows. Did it not get the rules of the game? He distant remembered Omera saying some children might walk away from those entirely. But, why would The Child walk past the ball?

His smile fell as The Child made its way towards him. Arms reaching upwards, hands clenching and opening, trying to grab something.

His heart stopped. He froze, staring down.

His had stopped breathing too, and wasn't brought back to reality until he made eye-contact with the starry eyes of The Child. He noticed the small smile on its face, and the way it seemed to light up immediately.

Shakily, he reached down gently. Picking it up so softly, he was scared of it. Like it was a precious glass that could break with any amount of force.

It was precious. Precious to him.

He brought the child close to his chest. It clung tightly to his armor. He could feel their warn body heat though his ice-cold armor.

An emotion exploded through him, filling his chest and heart with warmth. He grinned inside his mask, a cheeky ear-to-ear grin. 

The Child looked at him with such love and appreciation he couldn't help what happened next.

He cried.

Tears swelled in his eyes, falling over without prompt and continued to spill. He sniffed, still smiling when he picked The Child up again to his face.

The Child cooed, and grabbed the indents of him helmet. Such innocence and wonder, such _happiness_.

All directed towards _him_.

He had felt an emotion he hadn't in a long time, and he didn't dare push it down this time.

Joy.

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this at 7 immediately after reading a tumblr post where a baby passes pens, toys, and money, to reach their dad who then cried tears of joy because he didn't think he would choose him. Really, really cute.


End file.
